Motor car



ct. 6, 1936. 1 SfRAsMUsSE'N v 2,056,585

MOTOR CAR Filed April 4, 1930 Patented Oct. 6, 1936 ATENT OFFICE MOTOR CAR `rgen Skafte Rasmussen, Zschopau, Germany,

assignor to Auto Union A.G., Chemnitz, Germany Application April 4, 1930, Serial No. 441,647

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in automobiles and in particular to that type in which the car body is made of laminated boards.

The purpose of the invention is to make possible the use of very light and durable car bodies made entirely of Wood. Another purpose is to make possible the use of doors in such car bodies. Further purposes will become evident in the course of the following description.

The invention consists essentially in the provision of a car body wherein the side walls extend so far below the bottom foot-plate that the body is capable of withstanding all bending strains despite the fact that parts are cut from the upper portions of the walls for the provision of doors.

The wooden body consists, according to the invention, mainly of two lateral, laminated wooden plates, connected by a bottom plate likewise made of laminated wood, whereby these sideplates are undivided in crosswise direction and are, in their entire length of such continuous height, that they can serve as longitudinal supports. For increasing the strength, the lateral laminated wooden plates, exposed to great strains, are provided with means, whereby an alternate displacement of the single thin wooden sheets of the said laminated wooden plates, is being prevented. These means may consist of rivets, nails or screws, passed cross-wise through the plates.

One construction, embodying the subject of invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing by way of example, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the motor-car according to the invention in side-view,

Figure 2 the wooden body with support,

Figure 3 the connection of the lateral, laminated wooden plates with the bottom plate of the body in section on the line III-III of Figure 2.

In Figure l, the lateral, laminated wooden plate of the body is indicated by I. 2 are the wheels of the motor-car, 3 the front-and 4 the rear axles, 5 the radiator and 6 the motor-hood, made either of wood, or in ordinary manner, of sheet-metal. l is the side-door of the body. The bottom-plate or foot-plate of the wooden body, indicated in dotted lines, is likewise made of laminated wood and has been designated by 8, while 9 indicates the back of the seat.

The wooden body is supported by transverse springs IB, I I at two points only. A chassis, as hitherto employed for Ordinar automobiles, has been avoided in the motor-car according to the present invention. The price of the car is in this manner considerably reduced, as the wooden body in itself does not cost any more than an ordinary body mounted upon a chassis. The chassis has, in the present case, been replaced 5 by ordinary rods I2, I3 connected with the bottom plate 8 on the one hand and with the axles 3 and 4 on the other hand. These bars I2, I3 form, as shown in Figure 2, with the front axle 3 and the rear axle 4 a triangular frame con- 1u nected at the points I4, I5 with the bottom-plate 8 respectively. Above the axles 3, 4 the transverse springs I6, Il have been provided, whereby the wooden body is supported at points I8, I9.

The lateral, laminated wooden plates I are of 15 such continuous height, that they serve as supports for the body, so that they possess at all points sufficient strength. The lateral plates I are distanced mainly by the bottom-plate 8, the back 9 and the part 20, and are attached to a wooden frame 2I.

l The rivets, holding the single, thin wooden sheets of the laminated wooden plates I together for the sake of increasing their strength, have been indicated at 22 of Figure 2.

The side-walls I need not consist of one piece. It is however very important, that the plates should not be divided in crosswise direction, but running through from front to rear.

Connection of the lateral laminated wooden 30 plate i with the bottom plate 8, is illustrated in Figure 3 in section. Below and above the bottom plate 8, so called bottom-sleepers 24, 25 have been provided and attached to the bottom plate by means of rivets, or screws 23 and con- 35 nected with the lateral laminated wooden plate I by screws or rivets 26. The riveting of the different laminated wooden plates together can be perceived from Fig. 3 at 22, better than from Figure 2. 40

As any kind of twisting-strain cannot be transmitted into the wooden body on account of its being supported at two points only, the wooden body according to the present invention is just as durable as a body of sheet metal, while 45 the manufacturing-cost of the body and supports is considerably lower compared with the known car-arrangements.

The combination according to the present invention may however differ in its details from the 50 illustrated and described example without departing from thel range of the invention.

I claim:

A chassisless motor-driven vehicle, comprising a self-supporting wooden body with substan- 55 tially vertical longitudinal side Walls of laminated wood extending for the Whole length of said body to the front end of the motor at the front extremity of said body, a floor of laminated Wood disposed between said longitudinal side Walls, end pieces of laminated wood tying said side Walls together; means on said side Walls for securing said floor plate thereto; said side Walls extending for the Whole length of said body and having deep cut-outs nearly to said floor plate for door openings, and at the front end of the body at both sides of the motor, to provide ready access thereto; said side Walls dropping well below said floor plate and said securing means, to form a rigid self-supporting structure.

JORGEN SKAFTE RASMUSSEN. 

